No religious exemptions for vax

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz deserves praise for sponsoring legislation that would end the so-called religious exemption for parents who want to enroll their unvaccinated children in public schools.

“So-called” because there is no religious reason not to vaccinate a child.

In the current measles outbreak — which is the worst in decades, and worsening each week — religious authorities in the affected areas have repeatedly urged parents to vaccinate their children. The “religious” exemption is simply a loophole used by parents who have been misled by something they saw on social media or heard secondhand.

Not vaccinating your child puts your child at risk of serious illness, even death. Worse, it puts other children at risk, those who are too young to be fully immunized or whose immune systems are compromised by a medical condition.

Medical authorities and decades of experience confirm that vaccines are safe. There is no vaccine controversy or debate.

Vaccinating saves lives — not vaccinating jeopardizes them.

Thank you, Assemblyman Dinowitz, for speaking up for science, and for children.